Music

 

Welcome to our Music curriculum page where you will find a range of information about Music at Endeavour Academy. 

INTENT:

As musicians at Endeavour Academy, our learners will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to explore, create and perform music with confidence and enjoyment. They will be able to listen thoughtfully, experiment with sounds and develop their own musical ideas through singing, playing instruments, composing and improvising. They will also be able to appraise and evaluate music, including their own and that of others, using appropriate musical vocabulary to describe key musical elements. Through developing proficiency in singing, performing and playing tuned and untuned instruments, pupils will build secure musical skills and an understanding of how music is created and organised. By exploring a wide range of musical styles, genres and traditions, they will gain an understanding of music from different times and cultures and experience music as a shared and inclusive learning experience.

 

 

 

Characteristics of an Endeavour Musician:

• Enjoys making music and joins in with confidence, knowing that music is for everyone.
• Likes to sing, play instruments and perform with others, trying their best each time.
• Listens carefully to music and can talk about what they hear, including pulse, rhythm, pitch and dynamics.
• Uses their imagination to create music, making up rhythms, melodies and sounds through composing and improvising.
• Works well with others, rehearsing, practising and performing as part of a group.
• Explores music from different styles, cultures and traditions, and is curious about new sounds.
• Can talk about their own music and other people’s music, using musical words to explain what they like and how it could be improved.
• Shows resilience and pride in their musical learning, understanding that practice helps them improve.

 

IMPLEMENTATION:

Music at Endeavour Academy is taught through a discrete, timetabled lesson each week. The curriculum is implemented using the Charanga Creative Music scheme, which is fully aligned with the National Curriculum and provides a clear, progressive framework for musical learning. Charanga Creative Music has been chosen because it places active music‑making at the centre of learning, enabling pupils to develop musical understanding through singing, performing, composing and improvising. Its carefully sequenced curriculum supports clear progression while remaining inclusive by design, ensuring all pupils can participate meaningfully regardless of prior experience or confidence. Musical vocabulary is developed through listening and practical experience, allowing pupils to talk about and respond to music with confidence and accuracy.  Our whole school overview of learning in music can be viewed here.

 

 

 

Teaching and learning in music is organised around a small number of key musical concepts that underpin all musical understanding. These concepts are referred to as our big ideas and are embedded across the curriculum through practical, creative music‑making. In music, these big ideas are:

• Creating (through improvisation and composition)
• Performing (through singing and playing instruments)
• Listening and responding to music, including discussing and reflecting using musical vocabulary
• The inter‑related dimensions of music (such as pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, timbre and structure), which are experienced and applied in context rather than taught in isolation.

 

Knowledge, skills and understanding in music are developed around these same ideas and built progressively year on year. 

At Endeavour Academy, we are committed to using music as a tool to support pupils’ wider personal development, helping them to grow as confident, respectful and well‑rounded individuals. Our music curriculum is designed to promote meaningful SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural) development and to actively support the teaching of British Values through a wide range of engaging and inclusive musical experiences. Music provides pupils with opportunities to collaborate, reflect, express themselves and appreciate the diversity of cultures and traditions. You can read more about our integrated approach to personal development through music below.

 

 

 

IMPACT

The impact of our Music curriculum is seen in the secure knowledge, growing confidence and developing musicianship that pupils demonstrate as they progress through school. Through end‑of‑unit assessment against clear substantive and disciplinary knowledge statements, teachers can identify exactly what pupils know and can do—whether they are singing with control, performing with increasing accuracy, composing creatively or using musical vocabulary to describe what they hear. Pupils’ performances and practical outcomes show steady progression, supported by regular opportunities to revisit key skills and strengthen long‑term understanding. As a result, pupils leave Endeavour as young musicians who can listen thoughtfully, perform with enjoyment and expression, and use their musical understanding to create and respond to music with imagination and purpose.

I like music because we get to sing and make up sounds. I can clap the beat and keep it going with my friends. (KS1 pupil)

Music makes me feel happy and excited. We make our own music and everyone can join in. (KS1 Pupil)

In music we listen carefully.  I like it when sing together and make up our own rhythms. I like working with my friends because it helps me keep the beat and feel more confident. (Year 3 pupil)

I enjoy music because we are learning to play the recorder. I am getting better at using my fingers correctly to make the notes and keeping together when we play as a class. (Year 4 pupil)

In music we work together to create our own pieces and decide things like tempo and dynamics. Everyone can share their ideas and we have to respect each other’s choices to make the music sound good. (Year 5 pupil)

I like playing in our rock band.  I get nervous but I also like playing in the school concert for everyone and the families too. We have to follow the same rhythm to stay together. We’ve learned that listening to others and sticking to our agreed rules helps the whole band play well.  (Year 6 pupil)

 

ASPIRATIONS

As part of our commitment to raising aspirations for all pupils we want to develop an awareness in our pupils of available opportunities open to them and an understanding of how learning music can be useful to them in their everyday lives or in their future careers.  Here are some jobs pupils can aspire to as musicians:

• Audio Designer for Video Games
• RAF Musician
• Casting Director
• Theatre Performer

More ideas can be found at First Careers - Careers in Music

 

SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD WITH MUSIC

Music is for everyone, and you do not need musical training or equipment to support your child at home. Simple activities such as singing, listening and creating music together help children build confidence, creativity and enjoyment.

1. Sing together: Singing is one of the most effective ways to support musical development at any age. It helps children develop listening skills, pitch awareness, memory and confidence.

You can:

• Sing nursery rhymes and simple songs with younger children
• Sing favourite songs together at home or in the car
• Use singing as part of daily routines, such as tidying up or bedtime

BBC Primary School Songs provides a wide range of safe, high‑quality songs and sing‑along resources designed specifically for children. No accounts are needed and there is no interaction with others online.

2. Listen to music and talk about how it makes you feel: Listening to music together and talking about it helps children develop emotional awareness and musical understanding.

Try asking questions such as:

• How does this music make you feel?
• Does it sound happy, calm, exciting or mysterious?
• Is it fast or slow? Loud or quiet?

There are no right or wrong answers — talking about feelings and ideas supports confidence and communication.

3. Create music simply and safely: Children benefit from making their own music, but online safety is vital. We recommend tools that are free, secure and do not involve sharing, profiles or social interaction.

• Chrome Music Lab -A free, web‑based set of simple music experiments where children can explore rhythm, melody and sound. Suitable for a wide age range, there is no login required and no sharing or social features.
• BBC ‘Play It!’ - An interactive BBC resource that helps children explore how music works by experimenting with songs, sounds and musical elements in a clear, guided way. It is designed especially for children, is free and safe to use  and requires no accounts or social sharing

These platforms support creativity while ensuring children are not exposed to public or social sharing platforms.

4. Make music part of everyday life - Music does not need to be formal. You can support learning by:

• Clapping rhythms together
• Making up songs or sound effects for stories
• Using body percussion (clapping, tapping, stamping)
• Drawing or moving in response to music

Enjoying music together at home plays an important role in supporting your child’s learning. Singing, listening and creating help develop confidence, creativity and wellbeing, and reinforce the message that music is for everyone.

READING IN MUSIC

You can also nurture your child’s passion for music through their love of reading. The link here gives recommendations for music themed books, both fiction and non-fiction, suitable for children of all ages (please select appropriate age range from the list on the left of the webpage). There are reviews by children, and a brief outline of each book to help you to choose.